The HD Movie Podcast

Episode 188: Scream 7

Episode 188 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren are here to take a look at movies of any year, any genre and any quality, especially those in a long-running franchise.
This week, it's the second cinema trip in a row as your hosts discuss the latest instalment in a series of films which now spans thirty years. Neve Campbell is back once again as iconic final girl Sidney in SCREAM 7 and this time she's got a husband and daughter to protect from the Ghostface menace. Courteney Cox returns as Gale Weathers and with fan favourite Matthew Lillard rumoured to appear and original scribe Kevin Williamson on directing duty, how could any of this go wrong?
As long time fans of the Scream films, Hayley and Darren are more than ready to decide whether or not this is their favourite scary movie of the seven. They discuss the various things which make a Scream movie great and set them against this 2026 incarnation to decide whether or not it matches up to the very best of its predecessors. Suffice to say, there were surprises in store for them...
There's no controversy when it comes to the music of Mitch Bain, whose fine tunes are featured on this very podcast. You can find Mitch on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch".
You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you.
You can find the hosts on social media too!
Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram
Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads
We'll be right back! Actually, that's not true, sorry folks. We're taking a break before we return with the start of a brand new miniseries. See you soon!

Episode 187: "Wuthering Heights" (2026)

Episode 187 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Out on the wily, windy moors, Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren are covering movies of any year, any genre and any quality.
This episode, it's time for a trip to the cinema to experience Emerald Fennell's controversial take on classic novel WUTHERING HEIGHTS! Your hosts are big fans of Emerald's previous work so would this one make it three hits out of three? And is it as steamy a time as the marketing would have you believe?
Hayley and Darren talk about literary fandom, the modern cinemagoing experience, how the lustful encounters stack up against 1980s and 1990s smut, and of course there's discussion of Jacob Elordi's West Riding accent. One half of the team is a professional Yorkshireman, so he can judge Jacob's vocal efforts with at least some insight. Elsewhere, Kate Bush references are kept to a minimum but Darren somehow manages to mention Jess Franco at one point.
There's no controversy when it comes to the music of Mitch Bain, whose fine tunes are featured on this very podcast. You can find Mitch on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch".
You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you.
You can find the hosts on social media too!
Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram
Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads
How well hung was that guy in the first scene?

Episode 186: John Candy - I Like Me

Episode 186 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Do you want discussions about movies of any year, any genre and any quality? Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren do just that.
This week, your hosts head to the documentary genre for the first time with Colin Hanks' I LIKE ME, looking at the life and career of one of Canada's finest exports, John Candy, with contributions from his family and the folks who worked with him on movies and television. Does anyone have a bad word to say about this guy? We find out!
Hayley and Darren try to get through a piece of work that begins and ends with a funeral - and try not to break whenever Catherine O'Hara is on screen - to assess Colin Hanks' work in assembling a full and varied picture of a comedy icon. As Colin's dad appeared on screen with John Candy, does he get his dad in for one of the talking head segments? It would be rude not to, but there's a wealth of talent other than Tom ready to talk about their experiences with Candy. There's also poignant detail about the media's obsession with weight, this time turned towards a male performer as opposed to the raft of female ones. It's not a fluff piece, that's for certain.
Who do we like? We like Mitch Bain, who is HDMP's resident tune writer and performer. You can find Mitch on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch".
You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you.
You can find the hosts on social media too!
Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram
Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads
The industry wanted him big...

Episode 185: K-Pop Demon Hunters

Episode 185 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Control those shoulders and relax on the couch (couch, couch) as Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell talk about movies of any year, any genre and any quality.
Although the podcast doesn't focus a lot on cultural phenomena, it's time to get a little out of the HDMP's comfort zone and it's our moment to take a look at K-POP DEMON HUNTERS! Unless you've been living under a rock you'll have at least heard of this animated film, which focuses on girl group Huntrix and their confrontation with a fresh new boy band who may be hiding something under their fan-friendly image.
Will iconic pop stars Rumi, Mira and Zoey win over your hosts, even though neither of them is exactly this film's target audience? Regardless, there's a spot of impartial reviewing to be done, which leads to discussion - amongst other things - of the plot's satirical content, those catchy tunes, the PG-rated demon smackdowns and some side chat about anime in general.
Who's golden? Mitch Bain, of course! He writes and performs the music you hear on this podcast and his tunes are better than anything the Saja Boys can come up with. You can find Mitch on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch".
You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you.
You can find the hosts on social media too!
Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram
Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads
We will not interrupt your snacking...

Episode 184: VALENTINE'S DAY SPECIAL PART 2: My Bloody Valentine (2009)

Episode 184 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! By now, you should expect Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell to talk about at movies of any year, any genre and any quality and this episode is no different.
We have extended the Valentine's season - our podcast, our rules - as we bring you the second instalment of our two-part Special. After the romance of 1981's MY BLOODY VALENTINE, it's time to get all warm and mushy once more but this time with 2009's MY BLOODY VALENTINE! Your hosts suit up, switch on their lamps and head to the remake mine with Patrick Lussier's take on the George Mihalka original.
Darren and Hayley, having watched this movie in years past, now find it to be a different experience with 2026 eyes. There's plentiful gore being splattered around and a few nods to the original but, now in the director's chair, does the previous editor of a number of Wes Craven movies bring some of the maestro's verve to this genre piece? There are questions to be asked and some troubling issues to be discussed, including some of the least interesting folks involved in a toxic love triangle. Plus, Kerr Smith continues his "horrible bastard" cinematic character tour.
Our podcast Valentine has not changed since last week - it's still Mitch Bain, writer and composer of the tunes on HDMP. You can find Mitch on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch".
You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you.
You can find the hosts on social media too!
Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram
Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads
Happy Extended (Bloody) Valentine's Day, listeners!

Episode 183: VALENTINE'S DAY SPECIAL PART 1: My Bloody Valentine (1981)

Episode 183 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! It's back for 2026 and, as always, Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell will be taking a look at various movies of any year, any genre and any quality.
It's time to get all romantic with the first of a two-part Valentine's Special and what could be more romantic than unfortunate Canadian folks getting their hearts ripped out in George Milhalka's MY BLOODY VALENTINE? A crazed miner seeks bloody revenge in an early 1980s slasher that incurred the wrath of the MPAA back in the day.
As well as talking about the cuts made to the original theatrical release, your hosts reminisce about seeing an extended version at the Abertoir Horror Film Festival and just how much more gruesome those kill scenes are. There's also a discussion of the central love triangle, the different stylings inherent in a Canadian slasher flick, the tropes of the wider subgenre and much, much more besides.
Our podcast Valentine is obviously the wonderful Mitch Bain, who writes and performs the music you hear on this episode and a whole load of the previous ones. You can find Mitch on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch".
You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you.
You can find the hosts on social media too!
Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram
Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads
Happy (Bloody) Valentine's Day, listeners!

Episode 182: ...AND A PODDY NEW YEAR - New's Year Kiss

Episode 182 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Should auld acquaintance be forgot, don't panic because Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell are in party mode and ready to take on a New Year-themed movie of any year, any genre and any quality.
Our final episode of 2025 has your hosts looking at 2019's NEW YEAR'S KISS, which sees the podcast back in Hallmark-esque territory. A hotshot ad executive and a hotshot, er, accountant are meant for each other but will they ever meet? Santa is trying to make it happen but he doesn't seem to be trying particularly hard...
Your hosts dive in to a film which has "New Year" in the title but seems to be somewhat short in New Year content. There's also the constant background music to contend with, a lot of supposed zingers which aren't, a bunch of supporting characters suddenly appearing in the final act and one of the most annoying Santas in cinematic history. Cheers!
Let's raise a glass to Mitch Bain, who writes and performs this podcast's top tuneage, which is not irritating in the slightest. You can find Mitch on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch".
You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you.
You can find the hosts on social media too!
Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram
Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads
Happy New Year to all of our listeners and we will return in 2026!

Episode 181: A VERY MERRY PODMAS... - Jack Frost (1997) and Jack Frost (1998)

*** WARNING: This episode contains a brief discussion of a scene of sexual violence ***
Episode 181 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Deck the halls with boughs of holly because Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell are in festive mood and ready to talk about Xmas movies of any year, any genre and any quality.
We haven't been able to do a run of Christmas content this time around so we're bringing you two movies for this Yuletide episode, both released in consecutive years and both with exactly the same title. First up, it's 1997's comedy horror JACK FROST, then it's 1998's family friendly JACK FROST! Both of them have snowmen coming to life but the titular character goes about their business in very different ways depending on the film.
Your hosts discover that the two movies have a little more in common than you would think, particularly in their uncanny renditions of a walking, talking snowman and some weird plot developments. There's also vastly differing approaches to the special effects involved in both titles and the odd subversion of tropes in otherwise predictable surroundings. One of our snowmen also has more than a look of a Hollywood superstar and you'll never get it out of your head once you know. Does this holiday double bill end up being "ho ho ho" or "no no no"?
If Santa is checking a list for who's naughty or nice, then someone definitely on the "nice" list is Mitch Bain, who writes and performs the music featured in this podcast. You can find Mitch on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch".
You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you.
You can find the hosts on social media too!
Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram
Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads
A very Merry Christmas to all of our listeners!

Episode 180: Our Favourite Scary Movie Characters

Episode 180 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell are in Halloween mode and ready to talk about movies of any year, any genre and any quality...
...except there's a bit of a change for this episode. It's a bumper Halloween Special in which your hosts list fifteen of their favourite scary movie characters down the ages - actually, sixteen to be precise as one of our stop offs features a dynamic duo. We start off way back in the 1920s and end with a soon to be genre icon from 2025! There's also discussion as to why these characters are such landmarks in filmic fear. Other than that, we don't want to give away too much.
One of our favourite non-scary folks is, of course, Mitch Bain. He's a top writer and performer of great tunes, including those for this very podcast, and you can find Mitch on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch".
You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you.
You can find the hosts on social media too!
Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram
Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads
Happy Halloween, lovely listeners!

Episode 179: Summer Of Screams #7 - I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer

Episode 179 of The HD Movie Podcast is here! Hayley Alice Roberts and Darren Gaskell don't always know what you did last summer but they know that last summer they covered films of any genre, any year and any quality. Mostly shark ones.
The Summer Of Screams miniseries comes to a close as your hosts round off the coverage of a certain franchise with I'LL ALWAYS KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER! None of the original cast returned for this 2006 entry, which follows a new group of characters in a new location. There's also a new accident which triggers the ensuing, bloody mayhem, so is there a new killer? Well...
Hayley and Darren didn't like this on first watch and were wondering about including this title at all in Summer Of Screams, so did their late inclusion of this one result in an improved opinion of the film? Not really but the discussion was pretty lively.
There's talk of a troubled production which makes various attempts to invoke the spirit of the original and doesn't succeed much of the time. Also, there's a technical term for the ropey picture quality, a two word summary of the film and growing annoyance on Hayley's part at the performances, dialogue and *that* decision about the identity of the killer.
You want some killer tunes? Look no further than Mitch Bain. You all know it by now - he writes and performs the music you hear on the podcast and you can find him on Instagram if you look for "evertheoptimitch".
You can follow and contact the Podcast on Facebook, X and Instagram by searching for "HDMoviePodcast". We're happy to hear from you.
You can find the hosts on social media too!
Hayley: @HayleyARoberts on X, hayleyaliceroberts on Instagram
Darren: @darren_gaskell on X, darren_gaskell on Instagram, @darrengaskell.bsky.social on Bluesky and darren_gaskell on Threads
"Can a movie really be this bad?"